Annual Reminder: MLK Was a Black-Ass Radical
Welcome to the 84th installment of This Black-Ass Life! We are only 18 days into the year and it has already been some white-ass mess, so we want to take at least today back. Don’t let anyone whitewash today. The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was an unapologetic radical.
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I. The Facts
He was anti-imperialism, anti-militarism, anti-capitalism, anti-poverty, anti-war, pro-choice, and anti lazy white liberal.
Dr. King was an anti-imperialist and anti-militarist, calling the U.S. "the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today.”
Dr. King was also pro-choice, calling family planning possible, practical and necessary.
He believed capitalism’s best days were over, writing to Coretta Scott, “I imagine you already know that I am much more socialistic in my economic theory than capitalistic… [Capitalism] started out with a noble and high motive… but like most human systems it fell victim to the very thing it was revolting against. So today capitalism has out-lived its usefulness.”
He asked white liberals to finally show up and do & be better, writing: “The White liberal must see that the Negro needs not only love, but justice. It is not enough to say, ‘We love Negroes, we have many Negro friends.’ They must demand justice for Negroes. Love that does not satisfy justice is no love at all.”
During his lifetime, Dr. King was incredibly unpopular, even and especially with white liberals. He came out publicly against the Vietnam war and campaigned for anti-poverty initiatives. Liberals like José Andrés who seem to hate a fair wage for their workers would likely not be a fan of King’s anti-capitalist message.
He was so unpopular and perceived as such a risk that liberal fav Robert F. Kennedy authorized wiretapping to monitor him and the FBI labeled him a communist sympathizer.
Lastly and most importantly, y’all, he was SO UNPOPULAR THAT WHITES MURDERED HIM.
From Dr. Cornel West: “The killing of Martin Luther King Jr was the ultimate result of the fusion of ugly white supremacist elites in the US government and citizenry and cowardly liberal careerists who feared King’s radical moves against empire, capitalism and white supremacy.”
Why does it matter?
If white people have nothing else, they certainly will always have the audacity. Because how else can you explain Mike Pence using Dr. King as part of the crusade for president peepoo pants’ damn wall, Glenn Beck shouting out MLK and calling Obama racist in the same damn speech or that stupid ass Dodge Ram commercial?!
The outlandish attempt to distort who Dr. King was and what he stood for would be funny if they weren’t also simultaneously using his legacy to try to harm Black people.
You really want us to believe that the greatest modern architect of civil disobedience and the upholder of Black dignity and humanity would be against Kaepernick taking a knee or BLM? Again, the caucacity!
This is not to say that Dr. King was perfect. When Bayard Rustin needed support, he turned his back. And as feminists, we will be remiss to also not contend with Dr. King’s very problematic relationship with women. But that’s also part of the whitewashing of his legacy, making him into a saint and not a flawed human.
What can my Black ass do?
As the only non-President honored with a national holiday, Dr. King is an American hero. Honor that. That being said, we do not get to dilute his legacy by white-washing it either. Dr. King was not here for America’s fuckshit. We must honor that too.
Don't let white Americans, conservative or liberal, collectively gaslight us into making Dr. King their “centrist committed to moderation” action figure.
Receive Dr. King, and all Black people, in their totality.
Read Letter from a Birmingham Jail, Beyond Vietnam and/or any of the above links about his work and beliefs.
Again, please REST.
ll. Other Things
To everyone in D.C., please stay inside and safe.
Two people have already been arrested this weekend with suspicious credentials trying to get into the capitol. Please stay home, y’all. Who knows what they have planned for inauguration week.
For the first time in her life, Dr. Roxane Gay purchased a gun to feel safer.
From Damon Young: Maybe white people should try new hobbies?
Shout out to this auntie who creates care packages for new Black mamas.
Tessa Thompson has a production deal, y’all!
Old Town Road is FOURTEEN times platinum and the most certified song in history.
Our Black-Ass song(s) of the week (Mitu):
I’m sure you’ve already listened, but I plan to spend all day today looping Jazmine Sullivan’s Heaux Tales. Don’t have time for the whole album? Check out her flawless Tiny Desk performance.
Things we are looking forward to / things we are not looking forward to:
I (Jumoke) look forward to using the impulse-buy fancy apple butter I bought and turning it into something desserty and cake-like.
I (Mitu) look forward to finally reading The Secret Lives of Church Ladies.
lll. Text from a Black-Ass Parent
A watershed moment for children of Whatsapp University experts. Both of our parents sent us things this week to verify before they further spread misinformation!
Stay Black, thrive and rest! We’ll hit your inbox next on February 1.